Obsessed
by Miss Dark And Twisted
Summary: **Re-written version** A Freddy-obsessed girl discovers he isn't everything she thought he was... but will it be too late?
1. Prologue

**Disclaimer:**** Okay, in case you haven't read my profile, I'm re-writing 'Obsessed.' I'm just not happy with a lot of it, and I think it could be better. Don't worry; I'm not deleting the old version just yet. I also deleted 'Twisted', the sequel, because I don't like it and I can't seem to get it right. Anyways, I'm counting on you guys to review this new version, so I can decide whether the old or new is more popular. I own nothing. Enjoy!**

Prologue

I just didn't understand it. One minute, my family was here… and the next, they simply vanished. Where the hell could they be? I prowled the 'Hall of Horrors', but it was basically a long hallway branching off into a wider area, so there weren't many places for people to hide. Had they left? But… there was no reason for them to do that. Perhaps I could see my brother thinking it would be a funny joke, but my mother would definitely never go along with it.

"Mom? Dad? Anthony? Where are you guys?"

There was no answer. The wax figures of horror legends, frozen in threatening poses, looked down upon my plight coldly.

I swallowed heavily, feeling the first trickle of fear down my spine. I raced to the exit door and pulled, but to my horror, it wouldn't open. "Fuck," I hissed. I pulled and pushed and kicked, but the door didn't budge. This didn't make sense. How the hell could it be locked? "Mom! Dad!" I yelled, banging my fist painfully against the door. "Let me out, _please_! This isn't funny!"

I cast a glance behind me. None of the figures really scared me, except for one. A replica of Hannibal Lecter, clad in his blue prison uniform, stood menacingly behind a sheet of glass. The walls behind him were splattered with blood, and I could vaguely make out a human shape lying behind him. His eyes sent shivers all over my body.

"_Let me out!"_ I screamed, pounding harder, but there was no answer.

Suddenly, it occurred to me that perhaps this wasn't real. Maybe it was just a dream.

"Okay," I told myself. "I just have to wake up, then."

"Oh, I don't think so, Miss Saunders." A low voice spoke from behind me, a voice both terrifying and entrancing.

I turned around slowly.

Hannibal Lecter was grinning at me, his hands pressed against the glass, leaving bloody palm prints. That was the problem with dreams. The impossible became very, very possible.

"Erm, I'd love to stay," I said nervously, pressing myself against the door. "But, you know… I kind of don't want to die."

His grin widened, and I noticed that his teeth were stained red. _Oh, just lovely. _"Oh, I know what you want. But what you want doesn't matter."

I closed my eyes and willed myself to wake up, gathering all my strength, yet there was something blocking me, keeping me here. _Fuck fuck fuck FUCK!_ I began to panic as I opened my eyes, eyeing the cannibal warily. "Why would you want to eat me?" I asked, trying to reason with him. "I've done nothing to you… or Clarice or anything. I haven't bothered you in any way. Can't you just let me leave?"

I know you must think I'm insane. It's just a dream, right? Besides, Hannibal Lecter isn't _real_, right?

Wrong.

You see, things are a bit more complicated than you think. It's not as simple as real and not real. But now isn't the time to explain about the world and such things. This is my dream, my story, my warning.

"I'm particularly hungry, Miss Saunders, and you happen to be here. I'm very sorry, but it's a bit of a wrong place, wrong time sort of situation. I'm sure a girl like you will understand." Suddenly, the sheet of glass vanished. The only thing standing between me and death was gone.

This called for drastic action.

My eyes rested on the wax figure of Freddy Krueger, his bladed arm poised to strike. "Okay, Freddy, now would be a good time to help!" I called desperately. "I could _really_ use your help, actually!"

Lecter began to walk towards me slowly, like a cat stalking a bird, knowing the poor bird stood no chance. "Mr. Krueger won't help you, foolish child," he hissed. "I thought you were smarter than that."

Everything that happened next happened in a blur of bodies and silver. Lecter lunged forward, and I screamed, covering my head with my hands and falling to the side. I sensed another form moving, however, and there was a thud and a groan. Then I heard a snarl, something slashing through flesh, and a dark chuckle.

"It's okay, darlin', you can open your eyes."

The raspy, dark voice caused my heart to soar. My eyes flew open and I struggled to my feet, surveying the scene before me.

Lecter lay on the ground, panting heavily, four long slashes in his chest. The blood trickled out sluggishly, staining his prison uniform dark crimson. Freddy stood over him, smirking, his blades glinting with blood. "That's what you get when you mess with _my _girl," he hissed, winking at me.

I couldn't help but smile back. Yes, Freddy was a child murderer and psychopath. But… I was attracted to him, simple as that. His darkness and cynicism was unbearably alluring, and he made me laugh. He could be sweet and incredibly charming, so much so that it made me forget what he was. Now I realize he had overwhelming power over me, but at that time I didn't mind.

"I thought I was done for," I remarked, watching Lecter die.

Freddy gasped, acting hurt. "I can't believe you'd think I would let you get eaten," he growled playfully.

In the distance, I heard an alarm ringing.

He grinned, walking towards me, and stopped when we were mere inches apart. He rested his bloody blades gently against my cheek, and leaned forward so his mouth was beside my ear. I shivered with pleasure, feeling his rough sweater against my arm.

"Time to wake up, Alicia."

My eyes flew open, and for a moment I expected to see Lecter's face in front of mine. Instead, I was staring at my ceiling, my alarm clock ringing cheerfully in my ear. Smiling, I relaxed, leaning over to shut off the alarm.

"Alicia!" My mom's voice came from downstairs. "Are you awake?"

"Yeah!" I yelled in response, rolling out of bed and yawning. I looked at myself in the mirror, noticing the blood smeared on my cheek. I giggled like a schoolgirl, a warm flush of pleasure spreading across my stomach. I loved realizing that it had been real, that it wasn't just a dream. That I was special, because really, who could say that Freddy Krueger appeared to them in their dreams? Better yet, who could say Freddy Krueger was in _love_ with them?

I could. At least, that's what I believed. Sure, our relationship was unconventional, but love is blind, right?

Oh, if only I knew how true that actually was.


	2. Fool for Love

**Disclaimer:**** Blah blah, I own nothing. Enjoy the new and improved fic!**

Chapter 1

I finished wrapping my forearm in gauze, wincing slightly as the pain warmed into a dull throb. I made a mental note to chew Freddy out the next time I saw him, because this was happening way too often for my liking. Sure, I understood that he had…. violent tendencies, but really, couldn't he find something else to sink his blades into? I was running out of excuses for curious adults and classmates. I could only use the 'crazy cat' explanation so many times before it got a little suspicious.

Yeah, yeah, I know. The guy loves you, yet he cuts you up? Well, it wasn't like he _mutilated_ me or anything. Not like his other victims. It was just that sometimes he got… carried away. No, not like _that_. But he was a killer, and I had learned to accept his hunger for blood and pain, even if his prey was me once in a while. He never meant it, and was always apologetic the night after.

I knew he had victims, because I'd hear them sometimes when we were in his boiler room, their cries echoing off the walls. I never saw them, though, so it was pretty easy to pretend they didn't exist… especially since they _shouldn't_ exist in the first place.

Satisfied that the bandages were snug and secure, I pulled a long-sleeved blue shirt on over a pair of inky jeans. A choker and a few bracelets completed my outfit for the day, and I smoothed down the stray hairs that had wiggled free of my rather messy braids. I couldn't be bothered with my hair, which was not long enough for my liking, and a normal shade of brown.

"Alicia! What's taking you so long?" My mom called, annoyance creeping into her voice. I sighed, grabbing my bag before rushing down the stairs. "I'm here, I'm ready," I said, slightly breathless, smiling innocently.

Mom rolled her eyes. "You're going to be late, and you don't even have time to eat." _Honestly._ For some reason, my mom thought I didn't eat, which was stupid because I clearly did. Anyways, she was always fretting over my food intake, not understanding that I simply ate when I was hungry.

"Its okay, Mom, I'll grab a granola bar, okay? I'll be fine, don't worry." Trying to reassure her, I grabbed an oatmeal bar from the pantry. "C'mon, I don't want to be late again."

Mom gave me a look, but grabbed her keys and headed for the door. "Say goodbye to your father before you leave," she said over her shoulder. Even though my dad didn't show it, he was rather sensitive, and since I was a 'Daddy's girl', something as small as not saying goodbye bothered him.

"Bye, Dad!" I shouted down the basement stairs, hoping he'd hear me. There was a moment of silence, before a disgruntled "Bye, sweetheart," came up the stairs in response.

Grinning, I raced outside and hopped into the front seat of our van, shutting the door behind me. "C'mon, Mom, go!" My mom was such a slow, cautious driver, and it took her bloody five hours to just get the car started and out of the driveway. She gave me a warning look and backed up. I yawned, leaning my head against the window, wanting to close my eyes yet reluctant to do so. I didn't want to dream of Freddy and then be rudely awakened.

On the way to school, I let my mind wander. I didn't usually ponder how Freddy came to exist, but now I did. I wondered if he really _was_ real, or if I was just having some _very _real dreams. I'd never seen him kill anyone, and as far as I knew, my dreams were the only ones he prowled. Sometimes I felt a bit uncomfortable with the fact that I was in love with a murderer, real or not, but I had mastered the art of pushing unwanted feelings and thoughts into the darkest corners of my mind. It was like there were two parts of me, one 'pro' Freddy and one 'anti' Freddy, and more often than not the 'pro' Freddy-me reigned supreme.

"Leesha!" I jerked out of my reverie, realizing we'd reached the school. "Honestly, sweetheart, you need to start getting more sleep. You're in school to learn, you know."

"I don't sleep in class, Mom, and I do fine. I'm just a bit tired lately, with homework and everything. That's all." I leaned over and gave her a quick kiss. "I have to stay after school tonight to tutor, so I'll call you when I'm done, 'kay?"

I was out of the vehicle before she could answer, as the first bell had rung and I only had a few minutes to get to history class. "Okay!" My mom yelled out the window at my retreating back. "Bye, honey!"

I burst into the school, panting, trying to push my way through the crowd without seriously pissing anyone off. Even though I was a senior, a lot of the younger girls thought they were hot stuff, and loved to start shit with everyone and anyone. I heard a few grunts and yelps of annoyance, but I ignored them, plowing my way to first period.

I managed to slip through the door just as the last bell rang. I sat beside my best friend Hayley, red in the face and breathless, trying not to meet my teacher's eye. But Mr. Pillar had other plans. He slowly approached my desk, standing over me with his arms crossed. I could feel his gaze on me, and I reluctantly looked up. "Hello, sir."

"Miss Saunders… you're cutting it _very_ close." He looked stern, but his voice was friendly and teasing. Most of my teachers loved me, so they didn't really care if I was late or not. It was probably the worst thing I'd ever done in my record of being in high school.

"Sorry, Mr. Pillar. I wasn't late today, though." I smiled at him brightly, and he shook his head. "No, I suppose you weren't."

He moved away, towards the front of the class, and I slumped in my chair. "I thought I was done for."

Hayley snorted. "You? Leesha, you've got every teacher wrapped around your finger. I swear you've been late more than anyone in the class, but you've never been punished once." I made a face at her and she laughed.

As the morning announcements began, I tried to stay alert, but our principal's voice was very dull and I couldn't help but drift off. I yawned and shifted in my chair, trying to get comfortable, but I grew more and more tired… my eyes felt like they weighed a thousand pounds…

_Don't fall asleep…._

I jerked my head up, disoriented, trying to blink my vision back into focus. The classroom was now dark and empty, and I could hear soft singing somewhere in the distance. A slow grin spread across my face. "Oops, look like I fell asleep in class." I feigned confusion. "Wherever could I be? Teacher? Students? Where has everyone gone?"

Freddy's dark laughter floated in from the hallway. I got up from my desk, slowly approaching the dark doorway. Somewhere deep inside me, I felt a twinge of fear. I wasn't _scared_ of Freddy, of course, but still… a small part of me doubted the darkness.

I stepped into the hallway. Blood trickled lazily from the ceilings, coating the lockers in dark crimson. The once tiled floor was now striped in, what else, red and green. I laughed. "Very original, Freddy. Honestly, don't you know you can't scare me?"

A low growl came from the shadows, and Freddy stepped out, his fedora tilted over his eyes. I could just make out his outline, and the silver glint of his blades. "That's why I like you so much, darlin'. You're not like the other piggies… you're a match for me. I'm not one to resist an equal, especially a pretty one like you."

I rolled my eyes, even though I was secretly swooning on the inside. "Oh, you're such a charmer, Freddy." I looked around. "So what's with the setting? You want to play hide and seek or something?"

He smirked, moving closer. "I guess you could say that. See, darlin', I've decided it's time to take our relationship to the next level."

I raised my eyebrows. "Um, Freddy… I know you've been visiting my dreams for about a year now… but really; I don't think I'm ready for _that_ quite yet."

Freddy laughed, his raspy chuckle bouncing almost painfully off the walls. "Oh, such a twisted mind. I like it, but that's not exactly what I mean."

I cocked my head to the side. "Okay, I'm interested. What're you talking about?"

He smiled and motioned for me to follow him with a bladed finger, as he slowly backed into the shadows again. I hesitated for a second, then followed him. The darkness consumed me, plunging me into blindness. I stepped slowly, carefully, not knowing where Freddy was leading me. "Freddy? Where are you? What's going on?"

"Shhhhh." I jumped when I heard Freddy's whisper in my ear. "Just watch, darlin'."

Suddenly, the darkness vanished, replaced by light. I was standing in the middle of the hallway, which looked normal again. At the other end, a few feet away from me, was Sharon Walters, a Barbie-girl whom I harbored some disdain towards. She was wearing a short pink skirt and soft white sweater, her blond hair spilling over her shoulders. She turned suddenly, her eyes narrowing when she saw me. "Where the hell am I, _Alicia_?" she sneered, curling her lips scornfully.

I shrugged. "How am I supposed to know?" Suddenly, an idea came to me, and I grinned. "Where's your pass, _Sharon_?"

Sharon raised her eyebrows. "What, are you hall monitor now?" She looked around. "I was in math class… and then I was here. Everyone else is gone. Was there a fucking fire drill or something? I can't believe Brad left me!" she fumed.

I noticed Freddy was creeping up behind her as she faced me. I knew what was going to happen, and yet at the same time I didn't. I was in denial, you see, because I'd never _witnessed_ Freddy killing. But it seemed that was all going to change, and my flimsy façade was about to be torn apart. "Sharon…" the warning words stuck in my throat. Half of me wanted to scream at her to run, but the other didn't want to betray Freddy. I was frozen.

"What?" She was growing uncomfortable at the look on my face. "_What_?" she asked again. "Is there something…." Sharon trailed off, turning around. Her mouth dropped open as she came face to face with a grinning Freddy.

"You… you're not… this isn't… you're a _movie_ character!" Sharon stuttered. I was surprised that she managed to form coherent words.

In response, he sliced gently into her cheek with one bladed finger. She screamed and stumbled backwards, nearly falling, clutching her wound. "Shit! Oh, God…" She turned and ran towards me. "Run, you stupid bitch!" she yelled at me as she passed. Sharon's eyes were wide with terror, and she clearly didn't understand why I wasn't taking off as well.

I didn't move, though, instead I simply watched her run, knowing it was in vain. I reached out as Freddy passed me, clearly enjoying the whole situation, and I grasped his arm lightly. "Freddy…. What…" I searched his green eyes.

He grinned at me and slipped easily out of my grip. "Next level, darlin'. Relax, you might enjoy it."

In an instant, he vanished from my side and appeared in front of Sharon. She screamed and fell backwards, covering her face with her hands. "No, _please_!"

It was no use. Laughing triumphantly, he brought his blades down in a mighty swipe, slicing easily into her flesh and splattering blood all over the floor and walls. He struck again and again, her face, her arms, and her chest. Blood spurted like a fountain, drenching him in red, yet he simply laughed again and licked the blood off his blades.

_Oh my god._ I couldn't believe it. Had he… was Sharon… really dead?

"You bastard," I spat suddenly, the words ripping from my throat. I turned and ran, down the endless hallways, Sharon's screams echoing in my ears. I couldn't believe it. I mean, I _knew_…. But still…

I felt a hand close around my arm, and I fell to the floor in a mid-run. Angry, I turned to face Freddy, my hands clenching into fists. I'd traveled the dream world with him, visited Elm Street and 1428 Elm and his boiler room, seeing things I'd never thought possible… and yet it hadn't sunk in until now.

"Leesha," he said softly, his blood-flecked face so close to mine. "What's the matter?"

"What's the _matter_?" I snarled. "You _killed_ her!"

"That's what I _do_, darlin'. Didn't you know that?" For a moment, his eyes were clouded with anger. "You're smarter than that."

Slowly, I began to relax. I couldn't help the calming effect his voice had on me. He was like my drug, and I was a helpless addict. "I know." I looked at him. "I just… you _killed_ her."

"People die all the time, darlin'." He stroked my face lightly with his blades. "It's natural. Don't you see? There will always be killers and murderers. You know why I kill kids, Alicia? When I was alive, I saw how the kids treated my daughter Katherine. They were cruel and harsh. That was the _real_ them, not the sweet little things their parents saw. I say, weed out the bad ones young. Why wait until they grow up and get even worse?"

Part of me knew his words were stupid and made no sense, but a larger part believed them. It's hard to explain, because it seems so obvious now, but it's kinda like those wives that stay with their abusive husbands. No one understands why unless they're in the situation, so it's hard to make outsiders comprehend.

Very, very slowly, I nodded. "Yeah… I…." I looked at Sharon's mangled body, her lovely blonde hair stained with blood. "But she wasn't that bad. Yeah, she could be a bitch… but she never really _did_ anything."

"Not to you," Freddy growled. "Wanna see how little miss perfect treated others she didn't like?"

Before I could speak, he pressed his hands against the sides of my head. His blades dug painfully into my flesh, and I opened my mouth to scream, but only a strangled sort of sound escaped. My vision was blurring, and I could hear voices propelling in volume, from a whisper to a roar.

Memories flashed across my eyes like a jumpy old movie strip, one after the other, colours and sounds mingling together. It seemed as if Freddy were _injecting_ them into my mind, and it hurt like hell, but I couldn't stop it.

_Sharon, watching angrily as Brad and his then-girlfriend Nicole snuggled against the school's brick wall… she wanted Brad, and what Sharon wanted, Sharon GOT… tracking down Mike Daniels, knowing he'd videotaped himself having sex with Nicole back when they'd been a couple… "Mike, I need that tape… you know what I'll give you in return", her hands slipping beneath the table and creeping up his thighs…. Sharon fixing the tape, making it seem as if it had been taken while Nicole was with Brad… sending the tape to Brad, Sharon's laughter as he dumped a crying Nicole the next day… her cold, cruel triumph as the school whispered about Nicole the 'whore'… and she got Brad, oh, yes she did…_

"Stop!" I cried in anguish, clawing blindly at Freddy, trying to make him stop. But instead, his blades dug in deeper. "There's more you need to see, darlin'."

_A dark room, a sliver of light creeping in through a slightly ajar door… a little girl sitting in bed, with crystal blue eyes and dirty blonde hair… clutching a teddy bear and whimpering, "I don't wanna do it no more, Sharon"… Sharon, sitting at the edge of the bed, younger, maybe fifteen… wearing a cropped top and shorts, beside her, a disheveled and drunken boy… Sharon gripping the girl's shoulders, digging her fingernails into her flesh… "Do it, bitch, or I'll tell Mom and Dad what a whore you are," she hisses… the little girl, tears running down her cheeks, pushed the bedcovers off slowly and reluctantly begins to inch her nightgown up over her knees… the boy grins sloppily, his eyes hazy and unfocused… "You'll have me soon enough," Sharon whispers in his ear…_

"Ssssstttoooopppp!" I screamed again, drawing the word out into a moan. I didn't want to see anymore, didn't want to see the darkness that lived within Sharon… that probably lived in everyone… even myself… didn't want to believe that _everyone_ was evil and needed to die…

Finally, the pain of Freddy's blades vanished. I fell forward against the cool floor, breathing heavily and clutching my head. "Jesus… did she… was that…" I couldn't speak. My body's main goal seemed to intake as much air as possible.

I could feel him standing over me, and I felt him gently caress my hair with his bladed hand. "I'm sorry, darlin'," he said softly. "So very sorry. But it's about time you learned the truth. People are very, _very_ good at hiding things. I bet you'd never have guessed the kind of bitch Sharon was just by lookin' at her, right? Children aren't innocent, Alicia. No one is. It's all a load of bullshit. I can _see_ what's on the inside, what lurks beneath a pretty exterior."

Slowly, I managed to sit up, my head throbbing dully. "Is… is _everyone_ like that?" I choked out, trying to keep the tears back. Never in a million years would I have thought Sharon was _that_ cruel… I mean, she could be a bitch, but who _wasn't_ a bitch every once in a while?

Freddy shook his head. "Everyone's got darkness in 'em, darlin'. Some more than others. But not everyone's like Sharon."

I looked at her dead body again, her hair fanned out around her, legs splayed, blue eyes staring listlessly at the ceiling. I still couldn't imagine such a twisted soul dwelling in that body. But Freddy had shown me the truth… so it must've happened. All of it.

"Time to wake up," he whispered in my ear, and I jerked awake suddenly, looking aound the classroom, disoriented for a moment.

"Alicia," Hayley hissed in my ear, "You need to get some sleep! You're lucky Pillar didn't notice you dozed off."

I blinked a few times. "H-how long was I asleep for?"

She shrugged, keeping an eye on Mr. Pillar, who was on the other side of the room and writing something on the board. "Ten minutes, maybe?"

Suddenly, a bloodcurdling scream pierced the air, coming from one of the classrooms behind us. With a jolt, I realized Sharon's math class was two rooms down from this one. Everyone looked at each other, a low murmur beginning, and Mr. Pillar dropped his chalk, brow furrowing in confusion. "Everyone, stay in your seats," he said firmly, striding towards the door.

As he disappeared into the hallway, another scream rang out, mixed with whimpers and sobs. "Jesus, what the hell d'you think is going on?" Hayley asked, trying to peer out the door.

I shrugged. "I… I don't know. Maybe someone fainted?"

"_Sharon!_ Oh, God, what the fuck did this to her?" Brad's voice, angry and clouded with emotion, thundered down the hallway. That was it. The class rose from their seats and raced for the door, eager to discover what the source of all the excitement was.

Hayley stood and looked at me. "Aren't you coming?"

Sighing inwardly, I reluctantly stood, and followed her into the hall. Everyone was crowded around 208, Sharon's math class. Teachers were blocking the door, angrily ordering students to back off, while someone in the background called 911.

When Hayley wanted something, she'd do anything to get it. Right now, she wanted to see what was in that classroom. "C'mon, Leesha." She gripped my hand and pushed her way through the crowd. I winced, not wanting to see, a part of me still denying what had happened.

"Miss Cooper-" Mr. Pillar saw us and began to scold us in annoyance, but stopped abruptly when Hayley gasped in horror. We could see, from where we were standing, Sharon's bloody body, splayed limply in her chair, the desk and floor around her sprayed with blood.

"Fuck…" Hayley turned and pushed through the crowds, presumably to the bathroom, but I stood in place, frozen. "Miss Saunders." Mr. Pillar put his hands on my shoulders, trying to turn me gently. "Please. No one needs to see this."

I looked up at him, the reality that Sharon was dead coursing through me. Freddy was real. He was fucking _real_, real enough to kill at least. "W-What did this?"

He opened his mouth, and then sighed. "I don't know."

Then, the emergency personnel arrived, and there was chaos, a mass of students trying to peer eagerly in the room to see what was going on, a cluster of teachers trying to force them all back, and a few girls, led by Brad, who refused to leave Sharon's side.

I backed away, trying to comprehend all of this, when Hayley re-appeared by my side, rubbing her mouth. "Sorry, I just… shit. I can't believe it. That was fucking unbelievable." She was white and looked pretty shaken. I nodded. "Yeah… yeah."

"I mean, Sharon was a bitch, but she didn't deserve that. No one does."

I remembered what I had seen, what Sharon had done to Nicole, and the little blond girl, so innocent and afraid. "Yeah," I said softly, my heart begnning to harden, my blood turning as cold as ice. "No one deserves that."


	3. Idle Dreamer

**Disclaimer:**** Oh yes, this is… an UPDATE! *gasp* I should be writing my essay right now, but this is more fun than writing 2000 pages on the Supreme Court of Canada. I own nothing. Enjoy!**

Chapter 2

"Shit." I took a deep gulp of coffee, my third cup today. I couldn't do this. How do people survive with no sleep? It's impossible. Your head feels like it weighs a thousand pounds, your eyelids feel like they weigh two thousand, there's a hammer pounding your skull, and your muscles turn to mush. "Aargh." I closed my eyes and rested my head lightly against the cool table. So tired… can't fall asleep…

"Leesha? Are you okay?" Reluctantly, I raised my head and opened my eyes. Hayley and my other friend, Rebecca, peered at me curiously. I shook my head. "Not really. I haven't slept in a couple days. Not since…" I couldn't even bring myself to say it. "You know." Hayley and Becky nodded simultaneously. "Yeah. I haven't had the best time sleeping… but not sleeping at _all_? Leesh, that isn't _healthy_. You're gonna get yourself sick."

I resisted the urge to roll my eyes. "Thanks, Mom. Don't you think I'd _like_ to sleep?" My voice was a bit harsher than I meant it to be. Becky bristled defensively. She's always been defensive, like a porcupine. I know, weird analogy. But you know how, if you go near a porcupine, it rolls up and sticks out its quills? Well, that's Becky. Even the littlest thing gets her on her guard, claws out. "Sorry, Alicia. We're just trying to help."

_Bitch._ The last thing I felt in my sleep deprived state was _nice_, but I forced myself to smile apologetically. "I know. I'm sorry. I'm just tired… and cranky. You know how it is."

They kept staring at me, though, so I reached for my peanut-butter sandwich and took a bite, trying to distract myself from the prickly uncomfortable feeling creeping up my spine. Everyone had been tense since Sharon's murder three days ago. My mom made me stay home the first day, but I managed to convince her to let me come after that. It was much easier trying to stay awake at school than at home. Friends didn't ask questions, they'd keep you awake if you wanted. Not mothers.

I knew, subconsciously, that Freddy would be angry that I'd stayed away so long. For the past year, I'd seen him nearly every night. But seeing him kill Sharon had shaken me up, and I still hadn't dealt with it. So for now, I'd just skip sleep until I found some way to deal. "So, d'you guys know if the cops have any leads on Sharon's murderer?"

Hayley shrugged. "They think she had some sort of sleep disorder… I mean, how else can you explain it? There was no one there… no one touched her."

"A sleep disorder that guts you and tears you to shreds?" Becky asked, snorting. "I don't think so."

"Then what do _you_ think it was?"

Becky mimicked Hayley's shrug. "I don't know. Maybe someone managed to kill her quick, before anyone noticed. No one was paying attention… most of the kids said they couldn't remember, that's what I heard Mr. Morgan say. They said it was weird… one minute they were listening and the next Sharon was mincemeat. And Mrs. Doodman was facing the board. Someone could've technically had time to kill Sharon."

I kept silent. How had Freddy managed that? The whole math class had temporary amnesia. Convenient, Krueger, very convenient. That meant he was powerful… _very_ powerful. If this weren't the real world, if it was Springwood, the cops would know what _really_ happened. I could tell them, even, that it was Freddy – and they'd believe me. But this was reality, Freddy was a movie character, and I'd get myself locked up in a mental ward if I told _anyone_ that Freddy Krueger had murdered Sharon.

"Hey, guys?" I spoke up suddenly. "D'you know if Sharon has a sister?"

Becky and Hayley exchanged a look. "Yeah," Haley said slowly. "I've seen her a couple times – cute little girl, very quiet. Seems scared all the time. Why?"

"Just wondering," I muttered, taking a bite of my sandwich. _So maybe Freddy was telling the… wait a minute. Why do I even doubt him? He wouldn't lie to me. Sharon deserved what she got… what she did to her sister… who knows how many times? She got what she deserved, Alicia. _Everything was so messed up. I'd been living in a dream world – literally – for the past year, and suddenly the bubble had burst, leaving me confused and unable to face the truth, whatever it may be.

"There's Brad," Becky murmured suddenly, and we all watched as Sharon's boyfriend walked past our table, eyes haunted, dark circles staining the skin under his eyes a dark purple. He was a mess, his shirt inside out and his hair, usually so perfect, all over the place. He sat at a corner table by himself, staring listlessly at the wall.

"I guess he really loved her," Becky commented. "I mean, they were the perfect preppy couple – a bitch and a jackass – but… neither of them deserved this."

I couldn't take it anymore. "I gotta go." I stood up, gathering the remnants of my lunch. "I, uh, have an essay to finish. I'll see you guys later." Before either of my friends could answer, I hurried out of the cafeteria, tossing my lunch bag in the garbage. I pushed open the door, eyes downcast, and suddenly collided with something hard. "Oh, sorry…" I looked up, my words trailing into silence. _Fan-fucking-tastic. I just rammed into a cop!_

There were two cops, actually, and of course I'd run into the larger of the two. Both were male, but the one I'd hit was older, mid-to-late thirties, while the other looked to be in his twenties. The younger one was cute in the Ken-doll way, with light blonde hair and light eyes, with a sort of anxious-puppy dog look about him.

The older cop had the typical tough, seasoned-cop-who-doesn't-take-shit look to him. His hair was dark and closely cropped, and his eyes were piercing – they nearly made me want to confess on the spot. "Sorry," I said again, shaking myself out of my reverie. "I didn't… I should watch where I'm going."

Mr. Tough Cop raised his eyebrows. "That's alright," he said, a slight hint of perpetual sarcasm clinging to his voice. "Perhaps you could help me with something, actually."

I glanced at the Puppy-Dog Cop and shrugged. "Well, I'll try. What is it?"

He had a piece of paper in his hand, with what looked like a list written on it. "We're talking to students who may have known Miss Sharon Walters," Mr. Tough Cop said, "And the next student on our list – a Miss Alicia Saunders – doesn't seem to have class right now. Do you happen to know where we could find her?"

I felt the blood drain out of my face. Even though a part of me knew this was only procedure – they were probably talking to every senior student in the school – another larger part of me was seized with a crazy fear, that they knew what I'd done. _Oh, stop looking so guilty. This is just routine._ I swallowed heavily and smiled, trying to look completely innocent and casual. "That's me, actually."

Mr. Tough Cop raised his eyebrows again. "Well, what a coincidence. Would you mind answering a few standard questions? It won't take long, I promise."

I nodded. "Sure."

He led me to an empty classroom, the Puppy-Dog cop trotting behind. I took a seat at a desk, and the two sat on the opposite side, the young cop looking out-of-place, while the older cop looked like he'd done this countless times before. "How rude of me," he smiled apologetically. "I'm Detective Matthews, and this is my… apprentice, if you will, Officer Jackson."

I shifted awkwardly. "Er, nice to meet you."

Detective Matthews pulled out a notebook and a pen from his pocket. "How well would you say you knew Miss Walters?"

"Umm… not very well. We've gone to school with each other since elementary school, but we've always been in different circles."

"Would you say you and Miss Walters got along?"

I chose my words carefully. "Well, we weren't exactly friends, but I didn't hate her. I suppose we didn't get along, no, but most of the time we were civil."

"Most of the time?" Detective Matthews glanced up from his notebook.

I reddened slightly. "We had a few… confrontations. You know how high school can be. But it was nothing major, just trading of insults and such. We are… were… very different people, Detective."

He nodded slowly. "I see. And you were where when Miss Walters was murdered?"

"I was in history, two rooms away from Sharon's class." I winced, remembering the terrifying scream that had marked Sharon's murder. I wondered if I'd ever be able to forget it. "Why is that relevant?"

Detective Matthews glanced at Officer Jackson and sighed. "Miss Saunders…"

"Alicia," I interrupted.

"Alicia." He paused. "I'll be frank with you. The murder of Miss Walters is quite perplexing. Her classmates seem to have suffered temporary amnesia. None of them can remember the exact time that Miss Walters was murdered. Not even the teacher noticed anything. Right now, everyone is a possible suspect. There is a logical explanation for this, and I _will_ find it."

I met his eyes for a moment, determination blazing in their depths, before looking away. "Of course. I understand."

"Do you know of anyone who would want to hurt Miss Walters? Anyone who would have a grudge against her?"

I was going to say no, but the words suddenly flowed out of my mouth like a rushing river, taking me by surprise. "Nicole Scott, Brad Ellis' ex-girlfriend. She was pretty upset when Brad dumped her for Sharon." There were more, more unbidden words with a life of their own, but I clamped my mouth shut."

Detective Matthews scribbled something in his notebook, and then snapped it shut. "Thank you, Alicia. You've been very cooperative." He and Officer Jackson stood, and I wondered why he'd brought the young cop with him. Could a detective and an officer be partners? The extent of my police knowledge came from _Law & Order: SVU_, so I really wasn't sure.

"Er…" I stood with them. "No problem. I really do hope you find out what happened."

The detective gave me a quick smile. "So do I."

Officer Jackson glanced at me quickly out of the corner of his eyes as he left, and then the door shut and I was left alone in the room, standing behind an empty desk.

"Well," I said aloud, "That wasn't so bad. The cops are completely clueless. They have _no_ idea what happened, and I doubt they ever will."

I clapped my hands over my mouth suddenly; shocked at the pure malice in the words I'd just spoken. My own _voice_ sounded alien to me… it sounded like… like _him_. Freddy. _Stupid girl,_ a voice in my mind hissed. _What you told Detective Matthews was a lie. Of course you don't want them to find out what happened, and besides, they won't. Who would ever believe that a fictional character did this?_

No wonder I'd avoided thinking about Freddy and _who_ he really was for the past year. Thinking was too confusing. With a sigh, I let myself out of the classroom, attracting a few curious stares as I trudged down the hallway. I _did_ have an essay to finish, but at that moment, I didn't care. The pounding in my head had resumed, reminding me that I couldn't stay awake forever. Rubbing my forehead, I decided it would be safer to fall asleep at school than at home. At least here, if I got into trouble and needed to be woken up, there were endless numbers of people who would notice quickly and do it. _Not that I'll need to be woken up… of course nothing will happen. It's me and Freddy._

My eyelids growing heavier by the minute, I stumbled to the student help centre, most commonly called student services, a long room with tables and couches, with the guidance counsellors' offices dotting the walls. I frequented the centre quite often, to the point where all the counsellors knew me and even enjoyed my presence, at times. Or maybe I was delusional. I plopped down onto the couch, curling my feet under me and resting my chin on the couch's arm.

"Alicia, this isn't a nap room," a voice admonished from somewhere behind me, but the tone was warm and teasing, not cruel or harsh. "'m tired," I mumbled, my eyes already closed. "Homework n' stuff. Just a little nap, please?"

The voice, which belonged to Mr. Tyler, sighed. "Fine. But, seriously, just a short one. If the principal sees you in here, he'll flip."

I murmured my acknowledgement, my body relaxing and drifting into the throes of sleep.

_Nine, ten, never sleep again._

x

I suddenly felt very, very cold. My eyes flew open, my skin screaming in silent protest at the iciness that had replaced the previous warmth of slumber. The ground under me was hard, yet slightly soft, thin things tickling my exposed hide. As I lay there, in the unknown, a bitter breeze blew past me, the chill sinking its fangs into my flesh, striking bone.

"Jesus," I hissed, struggling into a sitting position. No longer was I wearing a sweater and jeans, as my arms and legs were very obviously bare. I blinked, trying to adjust my vision to my surroundings.

I was sitting on grass, facing a row of houses separated from me by a road. The houses were typical neighbourhood dwellings, nice but plain and uniform, almost exactly like the ones next to them. The strange thing was that all the houses were dark, and all the driveways were empty. Twisting around, I looked behind me. _Of course._

I was on the front lawn of 1428 Elm Street, the only house that seemed to hold some form of life, as the front windows were lit with an interior glow.

"What the hell am I wearing?" I muttered, looking down at myself, and then groaned in dismay. I was clad in a white dress, white socks, and shiny white shoes, like Freddy's jump-rope girls. My hair was curly, like theirs, and I felt a smooth satin ribbon tied among my tresses.

"This isn't funny, Krueger," I said, raising my voice. "You know I hate dresses."

There was no answer; the only sound that pierced the night was the cruel, bitter wind.

Rolling my eyes, I got to my feet. I wasn't scared, not anymore, if I even had been; now I was just annoyed. Freddy needed to inject some originality into his dreamscape, it was getting rather boring. "Okay, Freddy. You wanna play hide and seek? Well, ready or not, here I come."

I traipsed up the front steps and pushed open the front door, my hands coming away wet and scarlet-stained where I'd make contact with the wood. "Blood," I mumbled. "Ooh, scary."

The interior of the house was quite familiar, considering how I'd been in here countless times, never mind seen it in the movies. From the main room came the dull hum of a television set, the voices too low to make out the words. All the lights in the house were on, yet it didn't seem as if anyone was here. "Hello? Anybody home?"

"_Rrrrooooooooooddddddd!"_

An anguished, bloodcurdling scream ripped through the house, blasting my ears and causing me to take a few steps back. "Shit!" I winced, my hands instinctively covering my ears. "What the hell was that?"

The scream was followed my whimpers, lower this time. They seemed to be coming from, where else, the basement. Not surprisingly, a red glow spilled from under the closed door, mingled with the sound of clanging metal and the whimpers and cries. I pushed open the door and took a step forward; expecting there to be a flight of stairs, but instead there was nothing.

My balance was thrown off kilter. I teetered on the threshold, my body already leaning forward in anticipation of stairs. I tried to grasp at the doorframe, but my fingers clawed at useless wood, too flat for me to get a grip. As I fell forward, a helpless yell burst from my lips.

"Aaaaaaaargh!"

Everything was a rush of darkness and steam, with blurred red light thrown in. The air blasted my face as I fell, my limbs flailing, plunging headfirst towards certain death. My mind whirred, producing only broken fragments of thoughts.

_Jesus!... Freddy must be pissed, oh God I was wrong… Will it hurt when I die?... Who will find me? Will anyone ever know?... Is this even REAL?!_

Suddenly, I stopped. I didn't make contact with the ground or anything; I just _stopped_, as if something invisible was holding me still. I could move my arms and legs, but they only made contact with air. "Freddy, this _definitely_ isn't funny!"

"_Roood, help me!"_ A girl's cry rang out right beside me, and I yelped in shock, but I was stuck (supposedly) in mid-air. Suddenly, a spot in the blackness was lit, showing a bedroom from the view of the doorway, as if I were peeking through the peephole. A teenage girl in a blue nightgown, with short dirty blonde hair, was being dragged up the side of the wall, her nightgown torn and bloody, leaving smears of blood on the wall behind her. She was whimpering and screaming, while a young teenage boy in his underwear stood watching, his back to me, yelling in helpless agony. The weirdest thing was that there was nothing there, nothing seen that could possibly be dragging the girl.

"Tina," I said aloud, recognizing the scene. "Tina and Rod."

As if to confirm, the boy yelled the girl's name. _"Tina!"_ His voice was raw and full of pain. His hands clutched his hair wildly, unable to understand what was going on.

"Why are you showing me this, Krueger?" I yelled, the scene continuing as if I weren't there. "I _know_ all this!"

I began to fall again, my stomach lurching unpleasantly. I screamed, the sensation similar to that of the Drop Zone at an amusement park. "Frrreeeeddddyyyyy!" My scream was lengthened by the fall, stretched out and echoed into the darkness.

Other scenes flashed before my eyes, like a jerky old movie strip, one after the other. I saw Nancy asleep in the bathtub, being dragged under the water and fighting with her unseen captor… Rod, being strangled in the jail cell… Glen, being sucked into his bed, yelling, and blood spewing from the hole… teenagers being slashed to bits, blood gushing wildly, splattering walls and terrified faces… throats cut, stomachs disembowelled, heads severed from their bodies… then there was the horrible ones, little children being lured into an old boiler room by a man in a green-and-red sweater… shining blades, slicing into soft young flesh… whimpers and pleas spewing from tiny mouths, met with dark laughter…

"_Nnnoooooooooooooooooooooooo!"_ I squeezed my eyes shut, unable to take it anymore. I didn't understand; was Freddy _trying_ to make me hate him? Fear him? Had he decided that I, too, deserved to die?

Then I hit the floor, not with as much force as I should have, but enough to knock the breath out of my lungs for a few moments. My palms stung from the impact of hitting the ground first, and although I'd managed to keep my head from suffering impact, my chin had collided painfully with the hard ground. "Urgh," I moaned, rolling over onto my back. My vision was blurry, but I saw a figure looming over me.

"Nice of you to drop in, darlin'."

I moaned again. "F-freddy… what… the… _hell_?" I struggled to my feet, my legs throbbing faintly.

He shrugged, unconcerned. "You stayed away too long, darlin'."

"So, what, you _punish_ me by throwing me from the top of the stairs and showing me… showing me _that_?" I pointed upwards angrily, even though I was now in Freddy's boiler room, and a ceiling had replaced the blackness.

"You knew what I was," he snarled, taking a step towards me. "When I killed Sharon, you acted like you were _shocked_, like it was a big fucking surprise. Then you disappeared, didn't come to see me for _days_. You scared of me now, sweetheart? You _repulsed_ by me?"

I opened my mouth, searching for words. Was Freddy _hurt_? Did he even _have_ feelings? Despite all that, he had a point: hadn't I known what he was? He'd never denied who he was, but then again, I'd never asked. I never wanted to. "I'm sorry," I said finally. "I knew… I always knew. But… but… you have to understand. Most people… a _lot_ of people think you're evil. I mean… you _murdered_ Sharon, right in front of me! Knowing someone kills and… and _seeing_ it is two different things."

Freddy growled under his breath. "Fine. I was a bit… intense. But you're not a kid, darlin', and it's about time you fully _know_ who and what I am."

I swallowed heavily. "Wh – Why do you do it? Why did you kill them? For fun? I want to hear it from _you_, not some movie explanation," I added.

"I told you," he said slowly, pacing around me like a tiger, "Everyone's got darkness in them. Some hide it better than others. Don't you _see_? People who say you can't be born evil – they're _wrong_. Evil is born. Evil doesn't adhere to labels like 'baby', 'child', 'adult', or 'teenager'. It just _is_. It's in the soul, inside the person, and the outside is just a shell. Just a sort of residence for our souls… and for evil. You know what I do? I stop 'em young. I get the future pedophiles and serial killers and rapists before they get old enough to do a lot of damage."

I struggled to take all this in. "So, what… you're some sort of vigilante? A killer who kills killers?" I shook my head. "And how the hell are you _here_? How are you _real_, Freddy? The ones you killed – do they exist? Are they real?"

He stopped behind me, so I could hear him but not see him. "I do what no one else can, so they label me a 'child killer', the lowest of the low. They burned me, ravaged me… but my job wasn't done. It's never done. So I came back." He paused. "Y'see, darlin', this world, your world, isn't necessarily the only one. It's not the only reality; it's just _your_ reality. How do you think movies and books come about? Where do you think the ideas come from? Realities intermingle sometimes, and that's where fantasy and reality come from."

A part of me scoffed, told me I couldn't be _stupid_ enough to believe this, could I? But the rational part of me was small and ineffective, because a larger part of me eagerly believed everything Freddy was saying. I was the girl who preferred fiction to reality. I was the seventeen-year-old who still daydreamed, still imagined, and still escaped into books and movies, imagining that I would be carted off to fantasy lands and exciting adventures. And now Freddy was telling me what I'd always longed to hear. How could I deny it?

"Really?" I asked breathlessly, wanting to turn around and face him, and yet oddly frozen.

"If it weren't true, how would I be here?" I felt the fabric of his sweater brush against my arms, and after a beat I felt his arms, warm and strong, wrap around my waist. "Still scared?" he whispered, his rough lips grazing my ear. I shivered pleasantly. "Never," I shot back in a low voice. "I'm sorry I doubted you. It… it must be hard, doing what you do."

Vigilantes existed, so Freddy's story wasn't completely preposterous. Right? Vigilantes were _popular_, even, sometimes. But even if they were hated, they did what no one else could, what everyone else failed. How could that be _evil_?

"Mhhm. Glad y'understand, darlin'." I could feel his blades run over my hands gently, tracing abstract patterns on my skin.

My cheeks flushed hotly, and a strange twinge stirred in my belly. In the whole twelve months that I'd been visiting Freddy in my dreams, he'd never… I mean, we'd never… oh, all right, I'll say it. We never kissed. We explored the dream world, sometimes invading other's dreams and giving them a good fright, and there had been… moments, like this… but that was all.

I know it seems disgusting to _want_ Fred Krueger to kiss me, but at the time, I was in love. He was my knight, my prince, however unconventional. Love is blind, after all, right?

I finally turned and faced him, gazing into his green eyes. "Will you have to kill again?"

Freddy met my gaze steadily. "Yes."

I sucked in a deep breath and smiled at him. "Okay."

He grinned wolfishly. "Okay." His eyes travelled downwards, taking in my dress. "Nice outfit. It's cute."

"Shut up," I snapped playfully, swatting at him and stepping away rather reluctantly. "Get rid of it."

Freddy raised his eyebrows, pretending to ponder my request. "Nah, darlin'. I think it suits you, don't you? Of course…" His eyes gleamed. "If you _really_ hated it, I could get rid of it for you…" He clicked his blades together, advancing on me. I laughed. "Ha-ha, Krueger. In your dreams."

"Or yours," he countered, continuing to move forward.

"No, I'm serious. Don't. Stop… seriously, Freddy!" He took a swipe at me and I yelped, taking off into the boiler room with Freddy in hot pursuit, our laughter mingling: dark and light, together. How ironic it was, that I ran down the same hallways and up the same stairs that countless other teenagers before me had, but instead of being breathless with laughter, they were breathless with fear, the shining blades anything but a joke.


End file.
